News, Analysis and Opinion from Bonesville's Denny O'Brien

Pirate Notebook No. 117
Wednesday, March 26, 2003

By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist

Conference USA football has developed quite a reputation for parity and down-to-the-wire league finishes. With few stars returning and a handful of schools now under new regimes, next fall should do little to change that modus operandi.

True to its name, C-USA has been a conference of opportunity, one which has already produced five champions in just seven seasons. Only Southern Miss and Louisville boast multiple titles — two apiece — and even Houston, widely considered a perennial cellar dweller, wore the brass ring only a few short years ago.

An abundance of question marks and the lack of a dominant program should keep suspense relatively high deep into next season. With no clear-cut favorite, as many as nine teams have a legitimate shot at the title.

TEXAS CHRISTIAN: The Frogs' leap to the top didn't come without consequence last season. Starting quarterback Tye Gunn suffered a serious knee injury against Southern Miss, which is forcing him to miss spring drills.

But that could be a good thing, with the more pressing need being the development of a backup. So far, Brandon Hassell appears to be the guy.

Revamping the receiving corps — bookend receivers Adrian Madise and LaTarence Dunbar are gone — is a high priority, while the rest of the offense looks solid.

It should be business as usual on defense led by a senior-laden line. Frogs coach Gary Patterson's biggest concern there is finding more depth at linebacker and fine-tuning the secondary.

No quarterback loses a bigger supporting cast than Guidugli, who will be without his three best receivers — Jon Olinger, Tye Keith, and LaDaris Vann — along with bruising tailback DeMarco McClesky and top blocker Kirt Doolin. The defense doesn't escape unscathed, either, with its one-man wrecking crew, Antwan Peek, now prepping for the NFL draft.

Add in that all-star kicker Jonathan Ruffin is missing-in-action and the 'Cats are in total rebuild mode.

LOUISVILLE: John L. Smith snagged two C-USA titles before bolting to East Lansing. Having Dave Ragone, Dewayne White, and Anthony Floyd didn't hurt.

The bar has been raised in Derby Town and fans expect new Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino to make a run for the roses. Finding a capable starter under center and retooling the defense are paramount to meeting that objective.

Stefan Lefors is the only QB on the roster who has seen action, but at 6'0", 200 pounds, and with average arm strength, he is the anti-Ragone. About the only thing Lefors has in common with his predecessor is his throwing motion — he's a lefty.

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI: Spring has become an annual makeover for the Southern Miss offense. This year, Jeff Bower is counting on former Memphis coach Rip Scherer to provide the facelift, which is ironic when you consider the lack of offense his Tigers teams produced during the 90s.

High on the to-do list should be settling on a quarterback. Neither Mickey D'Angelo nor Dustin Almond outshined the other last year as the two spent much of the season playing musical QBs.

An inconsistent running game, which has been the epicenter of the Eagles' offensive woes, also needs addressing. The absence of Derrick Nix and beefy linemen Torrin Tucker and Jeremy Bridges, all of whom are out of eligibility, doesn't make that easy.

About the only thing certain with Southern Miss is it will play solid defense. The question is, will it be enough?

TULANE: Just when Tulane was beginning to shore up its defense, the Wave could be crashing again. Only two starters return, but the Tulane 'D' should resemble last year's surprising unit — small, but fast.

The offense returns a constellation of stars, led by quarterback J.P. Losman and running back Mewelde Moore. Add to them the return of receivers Demarcus Davis, Roydell Williams and Chris Bush and there's no reason to think Tulane won't repeatt last season's offensive output.

It better. With the defense in transition, the Wave will likely have to revert to a familiar formula next fall — outscoring its opponents.

The Blazers hired former East Carolina All-American Wayne Bolt to oversee the defense and he will implement a more traditional 4-3 alignment this spring after spending years in a 4-2-5. UAB yielded 30 points and 382 yards per game last year, including 228 yards through the air.

The offense, which returns nine starters, is fairly stable, thanks to the return of quarterback Darrell Hackney. However, UAB must be more consistent on the ground, or opposing defenses will start keying on its prized QB.

EAST CAROLINA: The Pirates' huddle suffered few defections, but the sideline will have a different look. Longtime coach Steve Logan is gone and his offense-first approach has been replaced by a new philosophy which will place much strategic emphasis on defense.

New Pirates coach John Thompson has a defensive background and is tasked with rebuilding a unit that ranked among the nation's worst last season. With all positions up for grabs, he's starting from the ground up.

One of the more interesting battles will occur on offense, where Paul Troth is fighting to maintain his starting quarterback position. Desmond Robinson and James Pinkney are among his challengers, and whoever wins the job will call the signals behind a stout, athletic offensive line.

Regardless of how the offensive and defensive chips may fall, Thompson must find solid replacements for kicker Kevin Miller and punter Jared Preston in order for East Carolina to make a serious bid for the league title.

Houston completes a triumvirate of C-USA programs under new direction. Briles, who was a Cougars standout in the mid 70s, just happens to be the least heralded of the three.

This spring, Briles is tasked with replacing All-C-USA running back Joffrey Reynolds along with leading tackler Hannik Milligan. The defense needs significant improvement, while the offense is being fitted with a new innovative look.

MEMPHIS: The Tommy West experiment enters its third season, with brighter days certain to be ahead. After a disastrous 3-9 campaign last year, things can only get better.

Danny Wimprine returns under center, where he will direct a more than capable offense. The defense, which prior to West's arrival had been the program's stronghold, is another story.

The former Mississippi State defensive coordinator is one of the best tacticians in the business, but this spring he has a tough row to hoe.

ARMY: Judgment Day is looming for Todd Berry. This could be a make-or-break year for the fourth-year Black Knights coach.

The loss of quarterback Reggie Nevels, who left the program during the off-season, certainly didn't help Berry's cause. Now, he'll look to either Zac Dahman or Matt Silva, both of whom saw significant action last year.

With 16 starters returning, Berry should spend more time fine-tuning his troops this spring instead of introducing his razzle-dazzle schemes. At the very least fans can expect moderate improvement in West Point.

SOUTH FLORIDA: Timing is everything. Too bad for the Bulls they couldn't have joined the league during last year's 9-2 campaign.

South Florida finds itself in transition in its inaugural C-USA season. All-everything quarterback Marquell Blackwell is gone, as is the Bulls' top pass catcher — Hugh Smith. Seven of the top ten defensive stoppers have also moved on, so much of the spring will be used to fill those voids.

USF already appears to be on par with the rest of the league. Now, it goes about the pursuit of a Liberty Bowl berth. Such an accomplishment would be cause for celebration on the Gulf Coast.